Department for Communities and Local Government

Public Libraries

Lord Hunt of Chesterton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 24 October (HL2163), what assessment they have made of the case for intervening under sections 10 and 15 of the Local Government Act 1999 in order to ensure that local authorities are discharging their function and meeting their statutory obligations to provide library services to the public.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: The Secretary of State can request an inspection under section 10 and intervene under section 15 of the Local Government Act 1999 where there is robust evidence that an authority is failing to comply with the best value duty. To date, the Government has taken the view that failures need to be very serious (and not narrowly focused on one single function) to warrant removing control from an independent council, which is run by locally elected representatives.For a single function such as library services, the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 provides the Secretary of State with a statutory power to intervene by calling a local enquiry when a library authority fails, or is suspected of failing, to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Manufacturing Industries: Investment

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their strategy to encourage and attract investment to the steel, aerospace and pharmaceutical industries in the UK.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Government has worked hard to make Britain one of the best places in the world to start and grow a business, creating a business environment that supports growth and encourages long-term investment; as well as a dynamic economy with open and competitive markets. This has included backing the steel, aerospace and pharmaceuticals sector, cutting corporation tax to 17% by 2020, and making major investments in the UK’s research infrastructure. We are also developing an Industrial Strategy which will embrace the opportunities of our new global role and upgrade our economy so it works for everyone. We will be engaging fully with all sectors of the economy to deliver a successful strategy and create the conditions for future success.

Carbon Emissions

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of (1) burning heather, and (2) depleted peat bogs, on the UK’s carbon emissions.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Government’s Greenhouse Gas Inventory publishes an annual assessment of the greenhouse gas impacts of wildfire burning in grasslands, which includes heather moorland. The most recent inventory shows that in 2014 15.6 kilotonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (kt CO2e) were emitted from wildfires on grasslands, including moorland, which represents around 0.003 % of UK greenhouse gas emissions. The inventory does not include estimates of greenhouse gas emissions from the controlled burning of heather moorlands as there are insufficient data.The inventory assesses greenhouse gas emissions from peat bogs that have been cleared and drained for peat extraction. The most recent inventory shows that 379 kt CO2e were emitted in 2014, which represents around 0.07 % of total UK greenhouse gas emissions. The inventory includes estimates of greenhouse gas emissions from improved grassland on drained organic soils, but due to a lack of data it does not assess emissions from semi-natural grassland and moorland on drained organic soils.

Nissan

Lord Livermore: To ask Her Majesty’s Government (1) whether they offered compensation to Nissan for any harm to its operations in the UK arising from the UK's future trade arrangement with the EU and, if so, what form of compensation; and (2) whether they will publish the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy's letter to Nissan.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: I refer the noble Lord to the statement I made to the House on this matter on 31 October 2016, Official Report, Vol 776. Col. 491-503 and the resulting question and answer session.



Official Report 31.10.16 - Nissan: Sunderland
(PDF Document, 2.61 MB)

Energy Supply

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of forecasts that the UK’s coal-fired electricity will fall by two thirds this year, what steps are being taken to ensure that the overall energy capacity will be sufficient to meet demand this winter.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: Keeping the lights on is non-negotiable for this government. National Grid has the tools they need to manage the system and we will ensure that they continue to do so in future. For winter 2016/17, this includes 3.5GW of Supplemental Balancing Reserve which is available to be called on if required. This contributes to a forecast electricity margin 29% higher than the margin we had last winter.

Hinkley Point C Power Station

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what financial caps have been agreed with EDF and the Chinese investors in relation to the cost of storage of Hinkley Point’s nuclear waste.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Waste Transfer Contracts for Hinkley Point C were agreed between the Government and NNB Generation Company (HPC) Ltd, which will be the operator of the Hinkley Point C power station, and is owned by EDF and their investment partner, China General Nuclear. The costs of nuclear waste have been dealt with in the contract to avoid the legacy issues associated with previous nuclear projects. Owners will pay for waste disposal and all costs of interim waste storage. The financial cap set for disposing of waste for Hinkley Point C is £1,159,250/tU for spent fuel and £65,850/m3 for intermediate level waste. These values will be indexed for inflation.

Hinkley Point C Power Station

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment has been made of the likelihood of taxpayers having to fund any additional cost of storage of Hinkley Point’s nuclear waste.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: As stated in the Departmental Minute on potential liabilities arising in relation to Hinkley Point C laid before Parliament on 21 October 2015, the likelihood of any liabilities to the taxpayer arising as a result of the arrangements to dispose of the plant’s higher activity waste is judged to be very low.

British Business Bank

Lord Shipley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are planning to take to ensure that the British Business Bank lends to all parts of the UK.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The role of the British Business Bank is to increase the supply of finance available to smaller businesses where markets are not working well, wherever in the UK that might be. The Bank’s programmes are supporting almost £3.2 billion of finance to more than 51,000 smaller businesses and are participating in a further £4.6 billion of finance to small mid-cap businesses across the UK. The British Business Bank is further supporting the availability of finance by creating the Northern Powerhouse and Midlands Engine investment funds to provide debt and equity to small growing companies. These investment funds have been designed in close partnership with Local Enterprise Partnerships to ensure they respond to regional demand where market failures exist, to promote local growth and help create an economy that works for everyone.

Fracking

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps will be taken to mitigate the effects of sand used in the fracking process being released into the atmosphere.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: Sand is used in the hydraulic fracturing process to keep the tiny fractures in the shale open. Sand itself does not pose a risk to health, but in some situations where sand is used on well sites the risk of occupational exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS) should be considered by the employer. Occupational Health and Safety is under the remit of the Health and Safety Executive, who have issued guidance and advice to help employers manage risks and to raise awareness of the importance of controlling exposure to harmful materials at work.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Gaza

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are planning to make representations to the governments of Israel and Egypt to provide entry permits to Gaza for UN and international NGO personnel.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We continue to call on the governments of Israel and Egypt to show maximum flexibility in opening the crossings into Gaza to help facilitate travel in and out of Gaza. While we have not raised the specific issue of United Nations and Non-Governmental Organisation personnel, officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv most recently raised the issue of movement and access with the Head of Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories Civil Division on 7 September. We remain concerned that the Rafah crossing has been mostly closed since October 2014.

Israel: West Bank

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to protest to the government of Israel about the number of demolitions of houses, farm buildings and other structures in the West Bank since 2015, affecting both Palestinian homes and livelihoods; and what assessment they have made of the prospect of an EU approach on the issue.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: According to the UN, since the start of 2016, 946 Palestinian-owned structures were demolished in Area C and in East Jerusalem, displacing 1420 people, including 662 children, already surpassing the number of demolitions in the whole of 2015. We are extremely concerned by this trend. We have raised our concerns with the Israeli authorities on numerous occasions. On 28 July, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood), issued a public statement condemning demolitions. On 7 September, during a meeting with Israeli Defence Minister Lieberman in London, Mr Ellwood also raised our concerns about demolitions. We have consulted EU partners on the issue of demolitions and they share our views. The EU collectively condemned demolitions in Foreign Affairs Council conclusions on 18 January.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Russian Language

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many fluent Russian speakers have been trained or recruited by the FCO since June 2015, and how many fluent Russian speakers are presently employed by the FCO.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Central records confirm the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has 163 employees with some level of Russian, language skills, ranging from basic Russian to operational (equivalent to degree level).Russian is a priority language for the FCO, and since 2010 we have increased the number of Russian-language speaker positions in our Russian and former Soviet Union Posts by 30% and increased the minimum duration for Russian-language training from 10 to 14 months.

Iran: Bank Services

Viscount Waverley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have taken any action to prevent the Iranian Embassy in London from opening a UK bank account; and if so, why.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We have not taken any action to prevent the Iranian Embassy in London from opening a UK bank account.

Iran: Sanctions

Viscount Waverley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether any EU sanctions are currently in place against Iran; and if so, what they are.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: ​There are a number of remaining EU sanctions on Iran relating to proliferation, human rights, Syria and terrorism.

Iran: Sanctions

Viscount Waverley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether any UK sanctions are currently in place against Iran; and if so, what they are.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: As well as implementing EU autonomous controls for which the UK imposes export controls (dual use goods, nuclear technology, sensitive software and technical assistance etc), the UK also has national export controls that go beyond the EU measures. In particular there are two controls that cover the aviation and marine sectors.The UK controls are contained on two lists: PL9008 for marine vessels and parts, and PL9009 for aircraft and parts.These controls are not related to Iran's nuclear programme – they were imposed during the Iran - Iraq war on both countries. The controls have since been removed against Iraq and now apply only to Iran.These controls do not prohibit the export of these goods but require an export license to be granted before they can be exported. Our controls are in place to minimise the risk of the goods being diverted for military use. A license application would judge whether this risk was great enough to reject it.

Tanzania: HIV Infection

Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Tanzania concerning their decision to stop HIV prevent programmes for gay men.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The government of Tanzania has not said it is stopping HIV programmes for gay men. Ummy Mwalimu, the Tanzanian Minister of Health issued a statement on 26 October saying that all Tanzanians who need HIV services, including those who are gay, have access to HIV services. However, she also said outreach and drop in services for gay men are being reviewed. We will monitor future developments closely.

Syria

Lord Marlesford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 24 October (HL2327), whether they have studied the report by the multi-faith pastoral group.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We are aware of this visit and have received reports from various members of the visiting group. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advised strongly against this visit, both for security reasons and because such visits can become tools of the Asad regime's propaganda.The FCO's analysis – based on reports from the FCO network and a wide range of credible independent sources – is that the Asad regime is responsible for widespread atrocities against the Syrian people. This includes the death of an estimated 400,000 people in the last five years, the use of chemical weapons, torture, arbitrary detention and disappearances.

Maldives: British Nationals Abroad

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their current assessment of the security issues facing UK tourists visiting the Maldives.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK Government's foreign travel advice states that crime levels in Maldives are relatively low, but petty crime does occur. Gang related violence in locally populated areas, including the capital Male, has increased recently. There is no evidence to suggest that British nationals are being targeted. As in many parts of the world, there is a general threat from terrorism and attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by tourists. Our assessment of security issues is regularly reviewed and reflected in our travel advice. We do not advise against travel to the Maldives.

Gibraltar: Spain

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many incursions by Spanish state vessels into British territorial waters around Gibraltar there were in the 12 months to 31 October 2016; and whether this represents an increase or a decrease in the number of such incursions.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: There were 434 incursions by Spanish State vessels into British Gibraltar Territorial Waters from 1 November 2015 – 31 October 2016, compared to 404 in the preceding 12 months. This represents an increase of 7%.

Sudan: Doctors

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of reports of the arrest and interrogation of Sudanese doctors across Sudan over the weekend of 29 and 30 October, including the president of the Sudanese Doctors Union, Dr Ahmed Abdallah El Sheikh.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We are aware of reports of detention of a number of Sudanese doctors, and that others are required to report to the National Intelligence and Security Services daily. This follows the Doctor's Union strikes which began on the 6 October. The British Embassy in Khartoum raised our concern over these detentions with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 7 November, and we will continue to monitor the situation closely.

Syria: Armed Conflict

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Governmenthow many (1) men, and (2) women, attended the talks between foreign ministers hosted in London by the Foreign Secretary on 16 October.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: 24 male representatives and zero female representatives attended the Foreign Ministers meeting in London on 16 October. The participating organisations and countries included: EU, France, Germany, Italy, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, UAE, UK, and USA.

Department for Exiting the European Union

UK Trade with EU

Lord Livermore: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have made an assessment since 23 June of the economic impact on the UK of leaving the Single Market.

Lord Livermore: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have made an assessment since 23 June of the economic impact on the UK of leaving the Customs Union.

Lord Livermore: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to publish any new analysis regarding the economic impact on the UK of the various future options for trade with the EU.

Lord Bridges of Headley: As the Prime Minister has made clear, the Government will give Parliament the opportunity to discuss our approach to leaving the EU - but will not show its hand in detail. We are continuing our analysis of over 50 sectors of the UK economy. Ministers are considering the UK's future customs relationship with the EU. In terms of trade we are evaluating a number of options, and we will negotiate the best unique deal for the UK.

Brexit

Lord Birt: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the statement by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on Question Time on 3 November, whether it is their view that the bringing of a court case on the triggering of Article 50 was an attempt to frustrate the will of the British people and was unacceptable.

Lord Bridges of Headley: The Government believes in and values the independence of our judiciary, the foundation upon which our rule of law is built. In respect of the ongoing litigation over the process for invoking Article 50, the Government disagrees with the Court's judgment and will appeal it at the Supreme Court.

Department for International Development

Jordan: Migrant Camps

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will seek to obtain full access for representatives of the UNHCR to the refugee camp at al-Rukban on the frontier of Jordan, together with the provision of water, food and medical supplies for its inhabitants.

Lord Bates: The UK remains deeply concerned about the situation of many Syrians in genuine need of support at Rukban. However, a minority of individuals pose a security threat there, as was demonstrated by the terrorist attack on a Jordanian army border post near the camp on 21st June 2016.At present, because of security concerns the staff of UNHCR and other humanitarian agencies do not enter the camp. They have been operating through the use of local volunteers. Only limited amounts of aid have been delivered over the last few months. Water supply, however, has continued.UK government officials along with our international partners and the Government of Jordan have been working tirelessly to find a viable modality of aid distribution which will not jeopardise border security.Considerable progress has been made in recent weeks and we anticipate that deliveries of food and daily essential items, as well as access to a basic medical provision for children, will resume shortly.

Ministry of Justice

Prisons: Crimes of Violence

Lord Hoyle: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many assaults there have been on prison officers and prisoners in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Lord Keen of Elie: The Safety in Custody statistics, including assaults on prison staff and prisoners, are published quarterly. The latest bulletin was published on 27 October 2016 and can be found on gov.ukPrisoner on prisoner assaults, and assaults on staff in prison custody, England and Wales, 12 months ending June 2014, 2015 and 2016 12 months ending Jun 14Jun 15Jun 16   (p)ALL ESTABLISHMENTS   Prisoner on prisoner assaults12,03913,47217,782Assaults on Staff3,4584,1775,9541. Figures include incidents at NOMS operated Immigration Removal Centres.

Prisoners: Death

Lord Hoyle: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many deaths have occurred in prisons in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Lord Keen of Elie: The Safety in Custody statistics, including deaths in custody, are published quarterly. The latest bulletin was published on 27 October 2016 and can be found on gov.uk Deaths in prison custody, England and Wales, 12 months ending September 2014, 2015 and 2016 12 months ending Sep 14Sep 15Sep 16Total deaths12342673241. Figures include incidents at NOMS operated Immigration Removal Centres.

Ministry of Defence

Navy: Officers

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the responsibilities of each of the 40 admirals in the Royal Navy; and what is the total cost of their posts including salaries, expenses and supporting staff.

Earl Howe: Not all senior posts are directly employed by the Royal Navy; senior appointments are filled on a rotational or competition basis across the Ministry of Defence, NATO and the European Union Military Staff. The number of Admirals increases and decreases in accordance with which 'Joint' positions are filled by the Naval Service.A list of Senior Naval Service personnel was released in June 2016 and is available on the Government website at:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/535041/Navy_FOI_2016_05868___Information_of_4__3_and_2_star_officers_on_the_active_list_of_Royal_Navy__RN__and_Royal_Marines__Annex_A__June_and_July_2016.pdf The salary range for these officers is between:Admiral/General (Royal Marines) - £185,000 - £189,999Vice Admiral/Lieutenant General (Royal Marines) - £130,000- £139,999Rear Admiral/Major General (Royal Marines) - £110,000- £114,999 Further information on the roles and salaries of officers serving in the Naval Service, Joint Forces Command, in Head Office and the Defence Equipment and Support organisation is available on the Government website at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mod-roles-and-salaries-2016The Service and civilian personnel supporting Royal Navy Senior Officers varies between appointments, but can include office support, those at official residences and staff both inside and outside of their individual Command Chains. Identifying the Department's expenditure on individual support structures and any additional expenses would incur disproportionate costs.Four roles (three Rear Admirals and one Vice Admiral) are NATO appointments, with their salary commensurate with the salary ranges included above. Information related to expenses and support staff for these roles cannot be provided as their staff will include non-UK nationals with many of their expenses provided by NATO.



HL2818 - List of Senior Naval Service personnel
(PDF Document, 65.45 KB)




HL2818 - RN Senior Officer Salaries April 2016
(Excel SpreadSheet, 25.24 KB)

Ethnic Groups: Veterans

Lord Ouseley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made regarding the employment prospects of black and minority ethnic personnel leaving the Armed Forces and entering the job market.

Lord Ouseley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to deal with reported discrimination in the job market experienced by black and minority ethnic personnel leaving the Armed Forces.

Earl Howe: The latest Department for Work and Pensions 'Labour market status by ethnic group' report, based on annual data to 2015, shows that the ethnic minority employment rate in 2015 was 62.8 per cent. The Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) employment rates of Service leavers who have used the Career Transition Partnership (CTP) is 68 per cent, 5.2 percentage points higher than the general UK BAME population. This demonstrates that serving in the Armed Forces enhances the employment prospects of BAME Service leavers when they choose to enter the employment market at the end of their military career.The CTP is the official Ministry of Defence (MOD) provider of resettlement services to members of the Armed Forces. The latest CTP Annual Statistics for Financial Year 2014-15 show that six months after leaving the Armed Forces BAME Service leavers who used CTP services had a lower estimated employment rate than white Service leavers (87 per cent). They also had a higher estimated unemployment rate and economically inactive rate. These differences were statistically significant and replicated differences seen in the general UK population. 89 per cent of CTP users were white, which was comparable to the UK population, where 86 per cent of the population was white.All Service leavers bring significant transferable skills to the job market along with a proven ability to learn new skills and concepts quickly.The CTP contract provides employers with unique access to the Service leaver talent pool. Employers can upload job opportunities to RightJob via the CTP website, which receives over 50,000 unique hits per month, and promotes employment opportunities through regular e-bulletins sent to over 20,000 active clients. Through the resettlement contract, the CTP can link employers with the best Service leaver candidates for their vacancies. The CTP offers a high quality, no-cost recruitment service for organisations looking to recruit highly motivated, skilled and experienced Service leavers.The MOD and the CTP strive to further improve the employment prospects of BAME Service leavers and to work with other Government Departments to help overcome potential societal barriers which may be experienced by some. The MOD is not aware of any specific civilian employment discrimination related to the military service of BAME Service leavers.

UN Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many (1) men, and (2) women, attended the UN Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial in London on 8 September.

Earl Howe: There were 302 male and 40 female attendees for the UN Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial in London on 8 September.

Department for Work and Pensions

Housing Benefit: Newcastle upon Tyne

Lord Beecham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many households in Newcastle upon Tyne they estimate will suffer reductions in housing benefit as a result of the new cap on housing benefits to be introduced on 7 November, and what they estimate will be the size of the annual savings engendered by the cut in Newcastle.

Lord Freud: It is estimated that around 500 households in Newcastle Upon Tyne will be affected by the lower benefit cap in 2016/17. The annual benefit reduction from the lower cap is estimated to be around £1.3 million in 2016/17 if the cap was in place for the full financial year, however actual savings will be much lower in view of the lower cap only applying to the latter part of the year.Notes:Estimates assume no behavioural responses - any behavioural responses to the lower cap, such as claimants moving into employment, would cause the number of households affected to reduce.The number of capped households has been rounded to the nearest 100 householdsAnnual benefit reduction has been rounded to the nearest £100,000 per year.Modelling for this assessment was conducted using administrative records held by the Department for Work and Pensions containing amounts of benefit paid (including Child Benefit, as paid by HM Revenue and Customs) and indicators of receipt of Working Tax Credit and exemption benefits such as Disability Living Allowance. This enables the separation of households into those excluded from the cap, and those which will be subject to it and by how much. The administrative records relate to November 2015, but have been adjusted to reflect the future benefit regime. The benefit cap will be lowered from 7th November from £26,000 to £20,000, except in London where it will be lowered to £23,000 (a lower cap applies to single adult households). To help ensure Local Authorities are able to protect the most vulnerable Housing Benefit claimants and to support households adjusting to our welfare reforms, the Government will provide £870m funding for Discretionary Housing Payments over the next 5 years from 2016/17.

National Insurance

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many national insurance numbers are currently in circulation in the UK; what is the current official population of the UK; and if these two numbers differ, what is the explanation of that difference.

Lord Freud: The information requested for the number of NINos currently in circulation in the UK is not available.However, the latest available figures (04/09/2016) show approximately 92 million National Insurance number (NINo) records on the Department’s Customer Information System (CIS). These consist of approximately:69 million – Live Adult NINo records23 million – Deceased Adult NINo recordsThe figures provided are the result of a routine scan of the Departments Customer Information System (CIS).The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is responsible for publishing information relating to the UK population.Whilst we cannot confirm the number of NINos in circulation in the UK, we can advise the number of NINos held on DWP systems is always higher than the UK population. This is because once allocated, a NINo remains on the department’s computer system. This includes both deceased records and where an individual has been allocated a NINo leaves this country. This is because a NINo provides a permanent numerical link between the individual and their National Insurance record, which determines entitlement to contributory benefits and state pension.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Rights of Way: Driverless Vehicles

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether self-driving wheel-based robots can be used on footpaths, bridleways and cycleways which are public rights of way; and if so, in what circumstances.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: Public rights of way allow the public to pass and repass along linear routes, in accordance with the status of the route. For example, footpaths allow for passage on foot and in mobility scooters; bridleways allow for passage on foot or in mobility scooters, on horseback or by bicycle. Any activity other than that which is in accordance with a right of way may amount to trespass if carried out without the permission of the landowner. Additionally, obstructing or rendering a public right of way dangerous is a public nuisance in common law.

Air Pollution: Urban Areas

Lord Hunt of Chesterton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether their policies for reducing air pollution in cities include expanding the areas of planting of trees and other vegetation on the ground and on buildings by public and private organisations.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Air Quality Expert Group, a group of independent air quality experts responsible for advising the Government, is currently working on a report considering air quality impacts of tree planting. The Government is currently considering the extent to which trees might be used as part of the wider mix of actions to improve air quality and this will be informed by the above report.

Disposable Wipes

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to consult the public on the case for banning all wet wipes which contain plastic fibres.

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to (1) require the packaging for wet wipes containing plastic fibres to display a warning that the wipes must not be flushed down toilets, (2) carry out a public awareness campaign regarding the dangers wet wipes with plastic particles pose to the environment, wildlife and public health, and (3) list publicly all the brands which use plastic particles in their wet wipes.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: There is currently no plan to consult on banning wet wipes containing plastic fibres, except where those fabrics also contain microbeads. On 3 September, the Secretary of State announced plans to ban the sale and manufacture of cosmetics and personal care products containing microbeads which may cause harm to the marine environment. The Government’s plans will be informed by a formal consultation later this year. At the same time, evidence will be gathered on the extent of the environmental impacts of microbeads found in other products, such as domestic and industrial cleaning products, before considering what more can be done in future to tackle other plastics, including microfibres, which enter the marine environment. It is important that people receive the information they need to dispose of the personal and cleaning products they buy in the most appropriate way to minimise their impact on the environment. The Minister for the Environment and Rural Life Opportunities has written to leading manufacturers and retailers of wet wipes and other products that should not be flushed into the sewer system, to encourage them to work closely with the water and sewerage companies on this issue, as well as on the information provided to customers on product packaging. While the packaging of some such products makes clear that they should not be flushed into the sewer system, others do not. The Minister for the Environment and Rural Life Opportunities plans to meet with leading manufacturers, retailers and water companies to discuss the matter further.

Plants: Imports

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to list all the UK's tree and plant species under threat from pests and diseases found in plants imported to the UK from the EU.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: We are committed to doing all we can to prevent plant pests and diseases reaching our borders and to build the resilience of our trees and plants. Our approach, led by the Government Chief Plant Health Officer, involves the systematic, proactive screening of potential new and emerging risks, which are listed in the Plant Health Risk Register. There are regulations on importing plants and products from outside the UK where it is known that certain pests or pathogens are present. These are updated regularly, in response to new evidence, such as that published by the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organisation. We are working collaboratively with the EU and broader international community, industry, NGOs, landowners and the public to reduce the risks of pests and diseases entering the country and the impact of newly established pests, including substantial programmes of work on the oak processionary moth and ash dieback.

Plants: Imports

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to draw up a new phytosanitary inspection regime for plants imported from the EU after the UK's withdrawal.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: We recognise that the UK’s exit from the EU may have implications for the way in which current UK plant health services operate, including phytosanitary certification on imports, quarantine measures to mitigate the highest risk pests and diseases, and plant passporting. We are considering the implications and possible options as part of our planning for, and negotiations on, the UK’s exit. Continuing to deliver a risk-based, proportionate plant health regime that effectively protects the UK from plant pests and diseases, whilst maximising the free movement of goods, remains of the highest priority.

Playgrounds and Schools: Air Pollution

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are taking steps to provide compulsory air quality monitors outside all schools and children’s playgrounds.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: Defra monitors, models and reports air quality at a national level in accordance with the requirements of EU and international legislation. There are 271 monitoring stations in the UK national monitoring network. Local authorities are responsible for reviewing and assessing local air quality, including decisions on local air quality monitoring. Their local knowledge and interaction with the communities that they serve mean that they know the issues on the ground in detail and the solutions best suited to local circumstances. Defra provides guidance, including helpdesk advice, to local authorities on the appropriate type of monitoring to install. Where local authorities conduct air quality monitoring, they are expected to site monitors in accordance with local and national priorities, which may include schools and other locations where there is high risk of public exposure.

Grouse Moors

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what research they have undertaken to assess the impact of grouse moors on the management of water flows and flooding.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: Various studies have been undertaken to look at the impact of the management carried out on grouse moors. These include a Natural England Review of Upland Evidence published in 2013. Peatbog restoration is also being carried out on grouse moors, which could potentially help to reduce flood risk. The Government has invested £1.69 million in community partnerships looking at natural flood management solutions including peatbog restoration. Defra is currently funding a York University project entitled “Restoration of blanket bog vegetation for biodiversity, carbon sequestration and water regulation”, which look at the different impacts of cutting and burning as heather management tools, including the impact on hydrology. The results of this research will be published in 2017.

Disposable Wipes

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking with manufacturers to improve the labelling of wet wipes to avoid them being flushed into the sewers and becoming a marine pollutant.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Government agrees it is important that people receive the information they need to dispose of the personal and cleaning products they buy in the most appropriate way to minimise their impact on the environment. The Minister for the Environment and Rural Life Opportunities has written to leading manufacturers and retailers of wet wipes and other products that should not be flushed into the sewer system, to encourage them to work closely with water and sewerage companies on this issue, and on the information provided to customers on product packaging. While the packaging of some such products makes clear that they should not be flushed into the sewer system, others do not. The Minister for the Environment and Rural Life Opportunities plans to hold a meeting with leading manufacturers, retailers and water companies to discuss the matter further.

Home Office

Undocumented Migrants

Lord Temple-Morris: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 11 October (HL1831), how many arrests of illegal immigrants, and how many arrests for immigration offences, there were in each of the last five years; and how many of those arrested in each year (1) were deported from the UK, (2) remained in custody, and (3) were released within the UK.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: It is not possible to provide information specific to the number of arrests for illegal immigrants because immigration offences cover a wide range of activities and the data specific to arrests for illegal immigration cannot be separated from arrests for other immigration offences. Additionally, an individual may be arrested for committing more than one offence, but as only one offence per arrest is recorded in a format that can be reported on centrally it is not possible to provide complete figures on arrests by individual offences type.Information on arrests – either by an Immigration Enforcement or Police Officer – for committing an immigration offence is available. For the period 2011/12 to 2015/16, our records indicate that there were 119,730 arrests.Data on the custody or detention status of those arrested cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate cost because checks of individual records would be required.

Immigration Controls: Northern Ireland

Lord Wigley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what policy options they have considered regarding controls on EU citizens entering the UK through Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland following the UK's departure from the EU.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: At present, the UK remains in the EU and there have been no immediate changes to the rights and obligations that membership entails. This means that EEA, Swiss and UK nationals continue to have the same rights and status that they had before the referendum.The Prime Minister has been clear that a practical solution in the interests of all parts of the UK should be found to manage the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland once the UK has left the EU. Senior Officials from the UK, Ireland and Northern Ireland are working closely to consider the implications of the UK’s exit from the EU on the Common Travel Area (CTA). The CTA arrangement predates the EU and leaders in the UK and Ireland have been unequivocal –both want to maintain the current arrangement.

European Arrest Warrants

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 24 October (HL2171) concerning the European Arrest Warrant system, whether they will now answer the question asked.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: We are exploring options for cooperation arrangements once the UK has left the EU. It is too early to say what the final outcome of the negotiations with the EU will be and it would be wrong to set out unilateral positions at this time, however as indicated in answer HL2171, we will do what is necessary to keep people safe.

Counter-terrorism

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they last met with the Muslim Council of Britain to discuss the Prevent strategy.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The threat from radicalisation cannot be tackled by Government alone. We meet regularly and work with a wide range of organisations and charities involved with safeguarding people from radicalisation.

Refugees: Children

Lord Eames: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to accepting a greater number of unaccompanied child refugees into the UK.

Lord Eames: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the closure of the refugee camp at Calais, whether they intend to revise the rules concerning the acceptance of child refugees into the UK.

Lord Eames: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many unaccompanied children have been accepted into the UK from the refugee camp at Calais.

Lord Eames: To ask Her Majesty’s Government to what extent the devolved administrations of the UK have been consulted on the plans for acceptance of unaccompanied child refugees.

Lord Eames: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the cost of accepting unaccompanied child refugees into the UK to date; and what provision has been made to meet the cost of an increase in the number of qualified children being accepted into the UK.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: In response to the French Government’s decision to close the camp in Calais, we have transferred over 200 asylum-seeking children to the UK, and we plan to transfer several hundred more children over the coming days and weeks.Between 1 January and 1 October, over 140 unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in Europe were accepted for transfer to the UK under the family reunion provisions of the Dublin Regulation, of which over 80 are from France. This is in addition to our efforts in Calais.Almost 3,000 people have been granted humanitarian protection under the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme since it began. In the year ending June 2016, almost 50% of those were children.There were 3,472 asylum claims from unaccompanied asylum seeking children in the year ending June 2016, a 54% rise compared to the year ending June 2015.We continue to consult with every part of the UK including the devolved administrations, to encourage local authorities across the country to accept unaccompanied asylum seeking and refugee children under the National Transfer Scheme.In July 2016, we increased the national rate of funding to local authorities taking responsibility for unaccompanied asylum seeking children; from £34,675 to £41,610 a year for those aged under 16 and from £25,915 to £33,215 a year for those aged 16 or 17. These rates were set following analysis of the costs of providing support to the two age groups based on financial information supplied by local authorities. We will keep these arrangements under review.

Hate Crime

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 18 October (HL Deb col 2279), what they consider to be the normal levels of hate crime; whether these are acceptable; and if not, whether they have a target for their further reduction.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: There is no acceptable level for hate crime; it is a pernicious crime that affects victims disproportionately and it has no place in a Britain that works for everyone.Government statistics show that 62,518 hate crimes were recorded by the police between April 2015 and March 2016. There was a sharp increase in racially and religiously aggravated crime in the month following the EU Referendum, but we have now seen a fall to pre-referendum levels.One of the aims of Action Against Hate is to reduce incidence of hate crime through education and changing attitudes. We have not set a numerical target for this.

British Nationality

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the Supreme Court judgement R (on the application of Johnson) v the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on 19 October on the matter of the granting of British citizenship, (1) when the Home Office website and other materials will be changed to reflect the decision, (2) when all consulates and embassies will be notified of changes to policy and practice resulting from the decision, and (3) when the Home Office will change the Form UKM and Form UKF application forms to reflect the decision.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: We are carefully considering the implications of the 19 October Supreme Court judgment in Johnson. Applications under routes to citizenship identified in the judgment have been put on hold where the good character requirement would be the sole basis for refusal. The Home Office intends to publish information on the Home Office immigration website as soon as possible.

Refugees: Children

Baroness Doocey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether all unaccompanied children they have brought to the UK from the Jungle camp in Calais are assessed by social workers or specialist charities for human trafficking or modern slavery indicators immediately upon their arrival.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Asylum claimants who display possible indicators of trafficking are referred to the National Referral Mechanism by the appropriate First Responders. Those unaccompanied asylum seeking children who have recently been brought to the UK from Calais are assessed on arrival by Home Office officials who are trained to identify indicators of human trafficking or modern slavery and who are working closely with social workers and specialist organisations. Safeguarding checks are conducted before children brought to the UK in accordance with the Dublin Regulation are allowed to join relatives.

Refugees: Children

Baroness Doocey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have accommodated any unaccompanied children from Calais in any immigration detention facility in the last month.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Home Office is not using immigration detention facilities to accommodate unaccompanied children from Calais.

Refugees: Children

Baroness Doocey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether children brought to the UK from Calais in accordance with the Dublin Regulation are given safeguarding assessments by social workers before being handed over to relatives claiming the children.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Asylum claimants who display possible indicators of trafficking are referred to the National Referral Mechanism by the appropriate First Responders. Those unaccompanied asylum seeking children who have recently been brought to the UK from Calais are assessed on arrival by Home Office officials who are trained to identify indicators of human trafficking or modern slavery and who are working closely with social workers and specialist organisations. Safeguarding checks are conducted before children brought to the UK in accordance with the Dublin Regulation are allowed to join relatives.

Refugees: Children

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to the recommendations concerning guardianship in paragraphs 320 and 321 of the 2nd report of the EU Select Committee Children in Crisis: unaccompanied migrant children in the EU, published on 26 July, and concerning the availability of legal aid for unaccompanied migrant children for the purposes of proceedings for family reunification, in paragraph 291.

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to ensure that child asylum applicants admitted to the UK are not moved to areas where specialist legal advice on immigration matters is unavailable.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Government responded to the European Union Committee’s report on 1 November. Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) are looked after by local authorities, in keeping with arrangements for other children. They are provided with a social worker and an independent reviewing officer to oversee their care arrangements, as well as access to an independent advocate and an independent visitor. We are working with the Legal Aid Agency and local authorities to ensure that UASC get the legal advice they need.Children are not eligible to sponsor relatives for family reunion under the Immigration Rules. Allowing them to do so would create perverse incentives for more children to be encouraged, or even forced, to leave their family and risk dangerous journeys to the UK rather than stay with their family and seek protection in the first safe country they reach.

Older People: Abuse

Lord Wasserman: To ask Her Majesty’s Government which police forces in England and Wales maintain units devoted exclusively or principally to tackling abuse of elderly persons; and how many officers are employed full-time in each of those units.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: This information is not held centrally by the Home Office.Decisions about the size and composition of the police workforce are an operational matter for chief officers, in line with the local priorities set by their Police and Crime Commissioner.

Borders: Northern Ireland

Lord Eames: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Ireland regarding security arrangements on the border with the Republic following the UK's withdrawal from the EU.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: There is regular engagement between UK and Ireland officials, including with the Department of Foreign Affairs, and there continues to be excellent government and operational cooperation. These discussions focus on existing joint work and the implications of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. This is supported by the annual summit, held in London this autumn, between the Permanent Secretaries of the UK Government and Irish Government which overseas and takes forward this work. The Common Travel Area (CTA) arrangement pre-dates the EU and we remain committed to it. The Prime Minister and the Taoiseach have stated their intention for both countries to work together to maintain the CTA.

College of Policing

Lord Wasserman: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 1 November (HL2530), whether, in the light of the fact that Dame Shirley Pearce has already stepped down as Chair of the College of Policing, it is their intention to appoint an interim Chair to oversee and direct the activities of the College until the new Chair takes up their duties.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Home Office will announce an interim Chair of the College of Policing in due course.Interim arrangements will ensure the functions and oversight of the College continue unabated during this period of transition.

Seasonal Agricultural Workers' Scheme

Baroness Byford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are reviewing the decision to close the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme; and if so, when their findings will be published.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme was open only to nationals of Bulgaria and Romania from 2007 onwards. It was closed at the end of 2013, on the basis of advice from the Migration Advisory Committee, when the transitional employment restrictions applied to nationals of those countries were lifted. The arrangements which will apply to EU nationals coming to the UK for the purpose of work post-Brexit have yet to be determined.

Visas: Overseas Students

Lord Harris of Haringey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 4 November (HL2634), whether (1) nationality or country of origin, and (2) the status of the institution as a university or college, are factors taken into account in the process for determining which international students applying for a visa to study in the UK should undergo an interview to assess that their course of study is genuine before a visa is issued; and what equality impact assessment has been carried out on the operation of these arrangements.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Interviews are conducted with international students as part of the visa application process in order to confirm that the applicant meets the requirements of the UK immigration rules, in particular that he or she is a genuine student. A number of different factors including the status of the institution are taken into account to assess the potential level of risk that an applicant might pose to the UK border and these are used to determine whether or not an interview is required.

HM Treasury

Brexit

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the significance and the implications of the reported rise in the prices for (1) Apple Mac computers, (2) motor vehicle fuel, and (3) Marmite.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) is responsible for producing independent economic and fiscal forecasts. The OBR will publish a full analysis on the prospects for inflation in their forecast at Autumn Statement. We are going through a period of adjustment as the economy responds to the vote to leave the European Union. The fundamental strength of the UK economy means that it is well-placed to deal with the challenges and take advantage of the opportunities that lie ahead. I would like to reassure the Noble Lord that the Government is working hard to lay the foundations for stable long term growth.

Cabinet Office

Government Departments: Computer Software

Baroness Kramer: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many licences for Microsoft Office have been held by each government department in each of the last three years for which figures are available; and what is the total cost of those licences by department.

Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen: The following table sets out departmental spend on new Microsoft Office licences:Department201420152016 (to date)TotalCabinet Office£0£48,815.02£138,647.17£187,462.19DBEIS£339,553.68£488,004.20£377,843.23£1,205,401.11DCLG£650.16£21,457.26£0£22,107.42DCMS£0£58,385.22£0£58,385.22Defra£1,056,578.18£517,819.56£489,118.51£2,063,516.25DfID£0£6,931.75£0£6,931.75DfT£188,703.66£393,645.55£384,243.74£966,592.95DWP£3,880,932.44£5,025,522.79£4,525,591.34£13,432,046.57DoH£702,942.90£528,051.90£133,152.74£1,364,147.54FCO£64,282.38£586,512.28£575,664.47£1,226,459.13HM Treasury£95,598.92£322,993.02£333,636.00£752,227.94Home Office£341,555.06£567,879.52£1,930,110.02£2,839,544.60MoD£1,759,378.42£1,673,981.45£4,370,288.88£7,803,648.75MoJ£1,764,374.57£2,175,918.38£2,114,130.28£6,054,423.23Total£10,194,550.37£12,415,917.90£15,372,426.38 £37,982,894.65 Information on the exact number of licences held is not recorded centrally.

House of Lords: Ministerial Statements

Lord Hunt of Chesterton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many references to Pepper v Hart have been made in ministerial statements in the House of Lords.

Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen: The Government does not hold this information. Information on Parliament and Ministerial Statements can be accessed online using the Hansard service.

List of Ministerial Responsibilities

Lord Marlesford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government why the List of Ministerial Responsibilities published by the Cabinet Office in October (1) describes Earl Howe as Parliamentary under-Secretary of State at the Ministry of Defence, (2) omits the Private Office telephone numbers for the Treasury ministers, (3) gives unobtainable numbers for Cabinet Office and Department of Health ministers, and (4) gives incorrect numbers for some Home Office ministers including Baroness Williams of Trafford; and whether they will issue a corrected edition of the publication.

Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen: The Government is grateful to the Noble Lord for drawing attention to these points. We are updating the List of Ministerial Responsibilities in both electronic and paper form.

By-elections: Richmond Park

Lord Naseby: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the estimated cost to the public purse for the by-election in the Richmond Park constituency following Zac Goldsmith's resignation.

Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen: The total cost to the public purse of a UK parliamentary by-election comprises two main elements: the expenditure incurred by Returning Officers in running the poll; and the cost of delivering election mailings produced by candidates. The Returning Officer for Richmond Park will have six months from the day of the poll to submit his expenses claim, and so the final cost will not be known until this has been received, scrutinised and settled. The actual cost of delivering candidates’ mailings will also not be known until after the election.

Political Parties: Finance

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to change the law relating to political donations.

Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen: Despite a decade of talks, there is still no cross-party consensus on the broad issues of party funding at this time. It is ultimately a matter for the political parties - the Government cannot impose consensus from Whitehall.

Elections

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the Electoral Commission in respect of changes to electoral law.

Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen: The Cabinet Office is in regular contact with the Electoral Commission on all aspects of electoral policy and legislation. These conversations cover a wide range of subjects from significant policy considerations to queries on how specific areas of legislation could be improved.We will continue to work with the Electoral Commission in making our electoral law more efficient, cost-effective and secure, and building a democracy that works for all.

Northern Ireland Office

Belfast Agreement

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Dunlop on 31 October (HL2406), whether parity of esteem, as set out in the Belfast Agreement 1998, relates to (1) individuals, (2) communities, or (3) both.

Lord Dunlop: This Government understands the concept of parity of esteem, as set out in the 1998 Belfast Agreement, as relating to and placing a general obligation on the UK Government to treat people of different traditions or communities in Northern Ireland fairly and with equal respect.

Parades Commission

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Dunlop on 31 October (HL2453), whether the Northern Ireland Parades Commission is only accountable to the courts on issues of human rights within the terms of the Public Processions (Northern Ireland) Act 1998; and what scrutiny there is of the Commission's actions.

Lord Dunlop: The Parades Commission for Northern Ireland is required to comply with the Public Processions (NI) Act 1998, which is compliant with international treaty obligations on human rights. As a public authority the Commission also has general obligations under public law. The Commission is ultimately responsible to the courts for the discharge of its operations. There is no one body or individual charged specifically with scrutinising the Parades Commission’s compliance with international treaty obligations, including on human rights. Should any individual or organisation feel that the Commission has acted contrary to its obligations, they have a right to take steps to challenge those actions through the courts.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Cybercrime

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty’s Government (1) how many additional cybersecurity experts they estimate are needed to implement the National Cyber Security Strategy, (2) what priority is being given to the education and training of cybersecurity experts, and (3) what is being done to encourage young people to study computer sciences at university and to recruit them to the cybersecurity industry.

Lord Ashton of Hyde: The National Cyber Security Strategy 2016 -2020 outlines the government’s ambition to deliver a self-sustaining pipeline of talent providing the skills to meet our national needs across the public and private sectors. Ensuring the UK has the cyber security experts it needs is a key government priority and much work was done to improve required skills at every level of education under the first 2011 - 2015 National Cyber Security Strategy. However ambitious new initiatives are still needed and being prioritised under the new strategy. This includes a national schools programme to provide intensive after-school training and mentoring; establishing cyber apprenticeships in critical sectors; and a re-training programme to attract and support people to transition into cyber security mid-career. To identify additional actions we will also develop a self-standing cyber skills strategy that will build on our existing work In universities we have ensured cyber security is an integral part of all computer science degrees accredited by the Institution of Engineering & Technology and British Computer Society. GCHQ have also established a certification programme, certifying nearly 20 courses to date, that will help students identify high-quality course to undertake in order to pursue a cyber security career

BBC Monitoring: Finance

Lord Allen of Kensington: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to fund the monitoring work of the BBC directly through grant in aid.

Lord Ashton of Hyde: The BBC is responsible for the funding, staffing and administration of the Monitoring service, which is provided under a specific agreement between the BBC and government, with the Cabinet Office being the lead department. The monitoring service is funded through the licence fee and there are no plans to change this arrangement.

Department of Health

NHS: Per Capita Costs

Lord Birt: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what has been the public sector spend on health per head of population in real terms for each of the years from, and including, 2010; and what is the projected spend per head in real terms for each of the years up to, and including, 2020.

Lord Prior of Brampton: Public sector spend on health in England per head of population from 2010-11 to 2015-16 and projected spend per head from 2016-17 to 2020-21 in cash and real terms is shown in table below: Department spend per head in England 2010-11 to 2020-21 YearPlan/OutturnSpend per head (£)Spend per head 2016/17 prices (£)2010/11Outturn1,9082,0772011/12Outturn1,9372,0792012/13Outturn1,9672,0692013/14Outturn2,0382,1092014/15Outturn2,0872,1272015/16Outturn2,1402,1722016-17Plan2,1842,1842017-18Plan2,2232,1842018-19Plan2,2542,1682019-20Plan2,2872,1592020-21Plan2,3402,166 Notes: Real terms growth calculations based on Gross Domestic Product deflators 30 September 2016. Department public expenditure is classified as the Total Departmental Expenditure Limit set by HM Treasury.

Atrial Fibrillation

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of clinical commissioning groups commission technologies to support atrial fibrillation detection in routine care.

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to support the implementation of the NHS RightCare cardiovascular disease prevention optimal value pathway.

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to ensure that all stroke victims are able to receive thrombectomies where appropriate.

Lord Prior of Brampton: NHS England’s Sustainable Improvement Team is taking action to promote the use of Guidance on Risk Assessment and Stroke Prevention for Atrial Fibrillation (GRASP-AF) within general practitioner practices in England. This is a software audit tool developed by and trialled in the National Health Service. It greatly simplifies the process of identifying patients with Atrial Fibrillation who are not receiving the right management to help reduce their risk of stroke. As of 31 October 2016: - 2,220 of 7,619 practices had uploaded data from the latest version of GRASP-AF;- 152 of 209 (73%) clinical commissioning groups have at least one practice uploading data from the latest version of GRASP-AF; and- 18 CCGs (9%) have 100% of practices uploading data. On 29 September 2016, NHS RightCare introduced an optimal value pathway on cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention. NHS RightCare is a programme committed to reducing unwarranted variation to improve people’s health and outcomes and reduce inequalities in health access, experience and outcomes.The CVD prevention pathway is the first in a series of optimal value pathways on a number of conditions. These evidence based pathways are being developed in close collaboration with NHS England’s National Clinical Directors, Public Health England, the Royal Colleges, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and other non-statutory stakeholders, including patient groups.NHS England’s National Clinical Director for stroke is leading work to develop a full proposal which will consider the evidence and logistical issues involved in delivering mechanical thrombectomy to stroke patients across the country. This includes working with the relevant specialist societies, Royal Colleges and Health Education England to consider the workforce implications. Once the proposal has been developed, NHS England will decide whether the procedure should be made widely available.

Health Services: Foreign Nationals

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to consult the public on proposals to make doctors personally liable to the NHS if they fail to collect fees from health tourists, and to make it a disciplinary offence for any doctor to fail to check whether a patient is a health tourist.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Government has no plans to make doctors personally liable to the National Health Service if they fail to collect fees from health tourists, nor to make it a disciplinary offence for any doctor that fails to check whether a patient is a health tourist. Our plans are instead to ensure that those who do not live here and contribute financially to this country make a fair contribution to the cost of their NHS care.

NHS: Finance

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the official figure of £10 billion extra in funding for the NHS by 2020–21 is correct.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Spending Review in November 2015 settled the level of funding that the National Health Service in England will receive over the course of this Parliament. The NHS will be receiving £10 billion more per year in real terms by 2020-21 compared to 2014-15. In 2014-15, the NHS budget was £98.1 billion, in 2020-21 it will be £119.9 billion. That is a £21.8 billion increase in cash terms, or £10 billion in real terms. The following table provides the agreed figures as set out in the Spending Review 2015 document:  NHS fundingAnnual real terms increaseCumulative delivery of £10 billion2014-15£98.1 billionn/an/a2015-16£101.3 billion1.9%22016-17£106.8 billion3.6%62017-18£110.2 billion1.3%72018-19£112.7 billion0.4%82019-20£115.8 billion0.7%92020-21£119.9 billion1.4%10

General Practitioners

Lord Luce: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to encourage retired general practitioners to work part-time for the NHS; and, if so, on what terms and conditions.

Lord Prior of Brampton: Health Education England’s Induction and Refresher (I&R) Scheme gives general practitioners (GPs) who have retired the opportunity to return to general practice. The scheme is also open to those who have taken a career break or spent time working abroad. On 6 October 2016, NHS England set out the latest measures it is implementing to help general practice cope with increasing demand, boosting GP numbers and tackling burnout as part of the General Practice Forward View, a copy of which is attached. This includes increased financial support, increased practical support and making the process more flexible. For example, working to develop a national framework so that suitably qualified and experienced doctors can be added to the Medical Performers List without the need to complete the I&R process. On completion of the I&R Scheme, GPs may take up a post as a salaried general practitioner. There are model terms and conditions of service for a salaried general practitioner, a copy of which is attached.



Model terms and conditions
(PDF Document, 273.46 KB)




General Practice Forward View
(PDF Document, 2.84 MB)